Disappeared
by Tiara Peterson
Summary: From the writing prompt: The person you loved has just reappeared after disappearing without a trace one year ago. Only, they've aged 20 years.


**_The person you loved has just reappeared after disappearing without a trace one year ago. Only, they've aged 20 years._**

* * *

Your hands shake as you handle the staple gun awkwardly. _You'd think after a year of stapling fliers, you'd be used to this damn gun._

White paper with large black letters and a picture of your best mate stare back at you from the wooden telephone pole. **_THUNK. THUNK. THUNK. THUNK._** The staples hit home, echoing in your head, and for just a moment, they drown out her laughter.

Fresh tears well, gathering steam to roll down your face but you wipe them away with the back of your hand. _It's been a year. It's not like she vanished last night. It's not like she just disappeared._ But she did disappear. One night she was there and the next morning, she wasn't.

Four more poles get new fliers, the old ones tattered and torn from the elements while other fliers boast a reward for someone's lost pet. Pffft. Like a lost dog trumped a missing person. You rip away the bright pink paper and staple five fliers on that particular pole; grunting with each squeeze of the trigger.

You're about to round the corner when someone clears their throat behind you. With a heavy sigh you face the other person, expecting a pan handler or that mate from school who bailed on you this morning.

Instead, you're face to face with someone who looks remarkably like your best mate. She does but she doesn't. Her hips and her face are fuller. But those eyes, you'd know them anywhere. Your mind tries to wrap around the fact that someone else is wearing her face.

You swallow hard enough that it hurts. "W – who are you?"

Chocolate brown eyes sparkle in the sunlight. The corner of her mouth curves into a smile that says she's keeping a secret. "It's me." Her voice breaks with emotion. Long fingers wring together as if she's trying to keep from grabbing you.

Denial is the first step. "I'm sorry. I… I don't know you." _No, it can't be. But… what if it is? Coop? Maybe…_

The full bottom lip that the boys in class couldn't get enough of is pulled between her teeth. She runs her hand through her hair. Hair that used to be down to her waist and burgundy was just past her shoulders and faded, streaked with grey. It looks kinda cool.

"I must look so different." Large eyes drift down to her own body as she shuffles on her feet insecurely.

You tear your eyes from her face and look at her feet. Feet that were bare every chance they got were clad in a pair of dark red Converse sneakers. One thin ankle has a tattoo of some design you want to know more about but that's the least of your worries right now. Beneath a denim skirt, she's wearing black leggings that stop just below her knees. A tight crimson tank top leaves her very white, Scottish skin bare to the sun. Freckles that you tried counting but always lost track of, are splashed across her shoulders.

You risk taking a step closer to the stranger, your mate. As you concentrate on her face, you squint. _Oh my God. It's her. She looks just the same but different._ You shake your head in disbelief as the papers and stapler fall to the concrete.

Your voice is a whisper. "Coop?"

Her chin quivers. Biting her lip, she nods in confirmation. "It's me."

You crash together in a rib crushing hug and cry. You cry as if it was the morning you couldn't find her. You cry as if you were scared you'd never see her again. You cry as if you would've died if you hadn't seen her again. You cry in disbelief and relief and exhaustion and acceptance that your best mate has returned.

When you part, you both swipe at the tears. "Where've you been?"

She shrugs and holds her hand out. You take it, of course, and walk beside her. "It's a long story. You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Her voice was deeper than last year, more grown up and mature.

"Oh my God, your mum. I have to call her!"

Coop shakes her head sternly. "No, you can't. Please, don't."

Confusion rolls through you as your fingers touch the cell phone in your back pocket. "What? Why not? She's your mum, Coop."

She licks her lips, tugging the soft flesh between her teeth. "I know that, I do. But… things are… complicated."

"You're telling me. I mean, look at you. You look… don't take this the wrong way, but you look old."

Coop reaches up and strokes her greying hair. She smiles, crinkles form at her eyes. "I am old. So much older than the last time."

Your brows pull together as she leads you into the park you played at for hours when you were kids. "What d'ya mean, older than the last time." The park looks the same, except for the addition of a blue phone box.

Coop stops in front of the box and rests her hands on your shoulders. "I'm not 19 anymore."

You laugh wryly. "Well, duh. Neither am I!"

Her face grows even more serious, a grey streak of hair falls into her face. "I'm not even in my 20's anymore. Hell, I'm almost done with my 30's."

"Huh? How old are you?"

She licks her dry lips. "I'm 39."

_20 years?! Where the hell has she been for 20 years?_

She blows the hair out of her face and sighs. "I'm going to show you something but you have to promise not to freak out, ok?"

You nod. Come on, what could possibly freak you out right now? Your mate that went missing a year ago has magically appeared looking much, much older.

The front door of the phone booth is pushed in with a borderline creepy creak. You step into the mysterious box and find yourself bathed in an amber light.

Beneath your feet is a ramp that rises slightly to a large open, circular room. The walls are bowed out as if it were a balloon. The ceiling is supported by numerous large, coral like beams. In the center of the room is a console with lights and buttons and switches and levers and monitors.

You look behind you and find your mate smiling as you walk further up the ramp. "It's ok."

_How is this possible? It's just a phone box. It's a trick, this is._

You dart out of the box and practically run around it, trying to make yourself understand what's happening. But it doesn't make sense and you find yourself drawn back in. With large eyes and an open mouth, you take in your surroundings, again.

Leaning against the console is a man that wasn't there your first time in. He's wearing a blue suit that's fitted in all the right places. A smile has taken hold of his lips as if he's waiting for you to speak first. His brown hair is thrown in every direction possible and you can't help but wonder what it would feel like against your palm. _He has really great hair. Like, really, really great hair._

Your voice finds itself. "It – it's bigger on the inside."

Laughter fills the large room along with something else, a humming and it's making your feet tickle, even through your shoes.

"What? What's so funny?"

The man moves to stand in front of you. His large, slender hand held out for you to take. "It's so good to finally meet you. I've heard so much."

Your heart hammers against your chest as you slide your much smaller hand into his. "I wish I could say that same. What is this place? How is it possible?"

"One step at a time. My name's the Doctor."

His hand is warm and soft and comforting and you find yourself calming down almost instantly. You tell him your name as he stares at you with caring eyes.

"The pleasure's all mine." He winks playfully at your mate who you feel stand next to you, your hips almost touching.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

You nod as your eyes travel around the room again. It still doesn't make sense and you find yourself wanting to stay until it does make sense. Even if that takes until the end of time.

Coop wraps her arm around your shoulder, squeezing the soft skin with her gracefully long fingers. "So, you want to join us?"

Your attention snaps to your right and you stare hard into the brown eyes of your mate. The mate you pinkie swore you would do anything for. The mate that broke her arm falling out of your window when you were 10. The mate that lost her virginity at 15 and swore you to secrecy because her dad would kill her. The mate that you would follow to the ends of the Earth.

Nothing else matters. Not the 3,000 word essay that's due on Monday. Not the job at the frozen yoghurt shop. Not even your parents or your other mates. Nothing. You've got your best mate back and you will do anything to keep her.

You wrap your arm around her waist and incline your head. "You have to ask?"

The Doctor's chuckle bubbles in his throat. "Well, then, Allons-y!"


End file.
